‘Lucifer’: ‘Spartacus’ Actress Leslie-Ann Brandt Joins Cast of Fox's Latest Pilot Comic Book TV Adaptation
Leslie-Ann Brandt, 33, best remembered for her role as the slave girl Naevia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, will be seen back on the small-screen as the female lead in Fox and DC Entertainment's upcoming Lucifer TV series.
Brandt is cast as Maze, a role which has previously been booked for Lina Esco who directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the 2014 feature Free The Nipple. Esco has been released from the Fox project after a table read according to Deadline.
Tom Ellis, 36, best remembered for his role in Rush has bagged the titular lead role and will portray Lucifer Morningstar, described as "The Lord of Hell who is bored of his life, abdicates, and becomes a consultant at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)." He also opens an exclusive piano bar he named 'Lux' which he runs with the help of Mazikeen, or Maze for short, a female consort who is herself a powerful demon.
Lauren German, 36, who starred as Leslie Shay in NBC's Chicago Fire from 2012 to 2014, will be seen as Chloe Dance, described in the pilot's outline as an "LAPD homicide detective who finds herself both repulsed and fascinated by Lucifer. As they work together to solve a murder, Lucifer is struck by Chloe's inherent goodness. Used to dealing with the absolute worst of humanity, Lucifer begins to wonder if there's hope yet."
Lucifer, the TV series, is written and executive produced by Tom Kapinos and DC Entertainment's sister company Warner Bros TV. It is a loosely based on the comic book character created by Neil Gaiman for The Sandman comic book series and its spin off series Lucifer written by Mike Carey, both published under the DC Comics' Vertigo label. In the comic books, the Lucifer character is drawn to very much look like the real-life rock star David Bowie. A constant theme in the Lucifer series is the question of free-will. The Lucifer character is perpetually challenging the 'tyranny of predestination.'
Warner Bros TV is fast expanding its live-action DC TV universe. It now has four primetime TV series - Arrow, The Flash, Gotham and Constantine. In addition to Lucifer, it is also now starting production on Supergirl. Its other pilot, Titans, is reportedly also near getting its own green light over at TNT.